While most people expect their winter power bill to be higher than their summer one, this is not always the case. The warmer weather comes with a price - we end up blasting up the air conditioning unit in order to keep the house cool throughout the day and evening. And if the kids are home during the summer holidays, there’s likely to be a lot of power usage from the additional electronics and gadgets being used during the day.

Luckily though, with a little smart thinking and preparation, both you and your family can implement small changes around the house that will help you to save money on power each month.

Use your air conditioning unit wisely

There’s nothing quite as glorious as blasting the air con after getting home on a sweltering hot summer’s day - especially if you’ve just come home from work or the gym. Unfortunately, blasting your air con to quickly cool down your house can have a massive impact on your power bill.

Set your air cond thermostat to around 22°C - and have it turn on half an hour before you get home, so you’re not wasting power on an empty house. For every degree you raise your thermostat above 22°C, you can be saving up to 3% on your cooling costs!

Unplug electronics that aren’t in use

Leaving electronics and appliances plugged in, when they’re not in use, can have more of an impact on your power bill than you realize. Don’t think that turning them off will do the trick - they drain power even then!

Anything with a light, clock, or that stays on when the device is powered off will be draining your power usage. That includes a charger that isn’t charging anything!

This applies to your home lighting as well - as we can all be guilty of leaving lights on in rooms that no one is in! For other ways to save power usage on lighting, check out this awesome article about the Benefits of Installing Solar Lighting in Your Home.

Keep your home cool and breezy

No one likes walking into a house that feels like a sauna! Any sunlight coming through your doors or windows will easily turn your home into an oven, resulting in more money spend on cooling expenses.

Make sure you draw the blinds/curtains during the hottest parts of the day, and open your windows again at night time when it has cooled down. You can turn off your air conditioning unit during this time, but be sure to close the windows again in the morning to ensure the cool morning air is trapped in.

Compare power prices and plans online

Are you currently getting the best possible price on your power plan? Are you with the best electricity providers in Australia? Could you be saving money by switching plans? It’s easy to find out whether you’re on the best power plan available, and even easier to find a better provider to switch to if you’re not.

Check out our easy to use online comparison tool - it allows you to compare power prices, plans and providers of Australia’s top providers and determine which is the best option for your household.